Ramiz Alia

Ramiz Alia (18 October 1925-7 October 2011) was the head of state of Albania from 22 November 1982 to 3 April 1992, succeeding Haxhi Lleshi and preceding Kastriot Islami. He was the last communist leader of the country, and he oversaw the transition to democracy.

Biography
Ramiz Alia was born in Shkoder, Albania on 18 October 1925. He was a member of a fascist youth organization at the start of World War II, but he joined a communist youth organization in 1941 and joined the Party of Labor of Albania in 1943. Alia became one of Enver Hoxha's lieutenants due to being a militant Marxist-Leninist and supporting Hoxha's doctrine of self-reliance, and he became the head of state of Albania in 1982 and de facto ruler of Albania after Hoxha's death in 1985. Alia initiated careful reform, ending his country's economic and diplomatic isolation. However, this allowed for the PPSH's monopoly on political power to be challenged by rival parties, and mass protests and an exodus of 100,000 people to Italy, Greece, and other neighboring countries ensued. He won the 1991 elections, but continuing protests led to new elections in 1992, which he lost. On 2 July 1994, he was sentenced to seven years in prison for human rights violations and corruption, but he was pardoned and released a few days later. He died in Tirana in 2011 at the age of 85.